Dragalj

Dragalj is a small village in the high karst country between Niksic and the Bay of Kotor, behind Risan, set in a shallow limestone field that holds the only flat, farmable ground for miles.

Dry grey rock, sinkholes, scattered beech and juniper, and grassland that greens fast in spring and burns brown by August. Rain disappears underground almost as soon as it falls, which is why settlements sit on the floors of these fields and every old house is built around a cistern.

These uplands sat on a strategic frontier under Austria-Hungary, which drove military roads across them and built stone forts to hold the passes. The local population rose against Vienna twice in the later 19th century, and ruined barracks still stand along the roads.

A small permanent population, and more houses than households. Some are used seasonally by families who come up from the coast in summer, when the plateau is markedly cooler than Kotor. Sheep still graze the field.

The road from Risan climbs in tight switchbacks with the bay opening behind you, then levels into a landscape that feels like another country entirely before running on toward Grahovo and Niksic. The high ground of Orjen lies west for walkers.

There are no services to speak of — no shop or fuel to rely on — and mobile signal comes and goes. Late spring through October is the season; winter brings snow and the roads can be difficult.